Experience the World of Pearls Like Never Before
At the Pearl Association of America, we believe the most powerful way to foster appreciation and understanding of pearls is through immersive, hands-on experiences.
Immersive Experiences Pearl Tours will consist of a curated trips for small groups of retailers, designers, influencers, and passionate collectors, to some of the world’s most significant pearl-producing regions—Japan, French Polynesia, China, Bahrain, and Mexico—offering in-depth insight into how pearls are cultivated, harvested, sorted, and brought to market.
Participants will meet cultured pearl farmers, divers, and technicians, gaining a deeper understanding of the craftsmanship and culture surrounding pearl production. They will also attend pearl industry trade events to experience, firsthand, the journey of the pearl from farm to market.
Our Immersive Experiences program will, therefore, allow professionals and consumers alike to appreciate pearls not only as luxury goods, but as cultural and natural treasures.
Schedule of Events:
- June 2025 – Japan Pearl Farm Tour
- November 2025 – Japan Pearl Farm Tour
Japan Pearl Tours 2025
The Pearl Association of America finished two very successful tours of Japan in 2025.
The June tour kicked off at the start of the summer and took a group of Key Opinion Leaders on an immersive tour of Japan’s pearl farms in Mie Prefecture. The pearl farms were mostly family-run and have specialized in producing beautiful Akoya pearls over many generations. The farm trips allowed the participants to witness cultivation practices during one of the most active seasons in the pearl farming calendar. The tour ended at the 6th Japan Pearl Fair in Kobe, where the tour participants met with many Japanese saltwater pearl dealers and wholesalers.
In November, the second iteration of the Japan tour offered a new group of Key Opinion Leaders a chance to explore Japanese Akoya pearl farms, this time in Nagasaki Prefecture. These were larger farms with an annual harvest of over 500,000 cultured Akoya pearls. They visited the Kitamura Pearl farm on Tsushima Island. This farm is renowned for its exquisite ‘Tsushima Blue’ Akoya Pearls. The November trip took place closer to harvest time, and the participants were given the unique opportunity to harvest their own cultured Akoya pearls at the Sasebo Pearl farm. In addition, the participants met with Mr. Oishi, Governor Of Nagasaki Prefecture at the Fukae Pearl farm, which has won many awards for its beautiful pearls. The participants also visited Mikimoto Pearl Island where the museum documented the story of cultured pearls in detail. The November trip also culminated at the 7th Japan Pearl Fair in Kobe, where experts from around the world gathered to discuss trends, quality standards, and innovations in the pearl sector.
While both tours share the same destination, Japan, the seasonal differences and accompanying industry events enriched each experience in different ways, giving returning participants a new appreciation for the beauty of pearls and the hard work and dedication that goes into bringing these exquisite gems to consumers.
